Nursery ground ecology: methods of study and analysis

1 - 10 August, 2009. Espegrend Marine Biological Station near Bergen, Norway. Coordinated by Richard Nash. see web site for more information click here for a poster Contact Richard Nash for more information. ECTS: 5 Application deadline: 01.07.2009 Click here for an application form. 1. Course objective Fish nursery grounds are important for the life cycle of fishes and often these areas are not particularly well studied or the processes understood. The juvenile stage of fish is often considered to be particularly difficult to work on. Probably the major exception is a selected number of flatfish species which have shallow water nursery grounds. In these cases sampling is relatively inexpensive and easy, and a variety of traditional, low and high technology instruments can be deployed. However, even in these shallowwater nursery areas information is lacking, often due to the complexity of adequately sampling these areas. In addition to needing to understand the ecology of early life history stages of fish from the point of view of understanding general population dynamics there is a need to understand the processes that determine survival in commercially exploited species. This forms a substantial part of the recruitment process and is the underlying basis of the sustainability of a population to commercial exploitation. Current fishery models generally treat the whole of the life stage from egg production to when an individual joins the fishery i.e. recruits, in one step. The principal models are formulated under the heading of stock and recruitment and as such cannot incorporate variability in nursery ground processes. Stock and recruit models and the ability to estimate recruitment levels underpin fishery science and the management of commercially exploited fish stocks. There are few, if any specific courses that specifically cover nursery ground processes but there are a number of specialists that are working in this area. Settlement and nursery grounds are multi-disciplinary research areas where researchers often collaborate, although rarely for teaching or demonstration purposes. In addition, the tendency has been for hard and soft substrata nursery areas to be considered separately. In this course we will bring together a multi disciplinary group that will provide a course which will cover the background and insights into the investigation of fish nursery areas from theoretical to applied matters, behaviour to ecology, sampling to

analyses, degradation to management and cover a range of habitat types template from 29.01.2007 relevant to Nordic marine ecosystems. With an increased awareness that spatial planning is needed in marine ecosystem management and the increased interest in such measures as marine protected areas there is a need to young researchers who are knowledgeable about the functioning of fish nursery areas and how these areas can be investigated. 2.Content The course will cover four modules 1. Sampling and analytical methodology: 2. Nursery ground dynamics: 3. Manipulative experimentation: 4. Fish nursery ground management. Sampling and analytical methodology Fish nurseries cover a relatively wide range of habitat types and depth ranges. Each habitat type presents problems with respect to efficient sampling and for obtaining quantitative samples. In addition the target species e.g. flatfish versus roundfish, benthic versus pelagic also present challenges for obtaining representative samples. The module will start with exploring the range of habitats that need to be sampled and the methodologies that are currently available. These will range from tradition trawls to modern electronic based observational tools. Each of the methodologies will be approached with respect to the objective of the research e.g. hypothesis to be tested or routine monitoring etc. In addition to sampling techniques other experimental procedures such as tagging (conventional and electronic), visual census methodologies, long and short term determination of environmental parameters etc will be highlighted. Methods for analysing data collected on nursery grounds will be explored. There is quite a range of techniques covering time series analyses, spatial analyses and standard statistical tests. The experimental or sampling designs will be viewed in conjunction with the analytical procedures for violation of analytical assumptions. The objective is to encourage a consideration of the analytical techniques to be used when setting up the sampling designs. The module will consist of formal lectures and practical work in the field. Nursery ground dynamics Fish nursery grounds are very diverse and the dynamics vary considerably. The module will start with definitions of what constitutes nursery grounds and essential fish habitats, and a review of the various known types of nursery grounds. The nursery areas will range from very shallow inshore areas to template from 29.01.2007 offshore, deep water areas; areas which are almost exclusively juvenile areas to grounds

with both adults and juveniles co-occurring. The module will cover the processes and behaviours that are involved with the supply of juveniles to the nursery areas through to the departure of the juveniles off the nursery grounds. The supply of juveniles to the nurseries will be investigated highlighting the effects of oceanographic currents, location and connectivity of spawning grounds with nursery areas. The question of nursery area patchworks e.g. isolated bays and fragmented habitats will also be explored. The processes involved with settlement onto a nursery ground are important and involve switches in diet and behaviour. In regard to flatfishes, for example, this involves movement from a three dimensional to two dimensional habitat and opens the question of shifts in survival rates. This can be viewed within the concentration hypothesis. In regard to the dynamics on the nurseries the timing and sequence of settlement and absolute abundance is often determined from offshore processes, indications of differential survival can be determined from examination of the otoliths of the fish. On the nursery grounds survival varies intra- and inter-annually. Differential survival rates can often be linked to predator-prey relationships and also potentially to competition (density-dependent effects). Predation on juvenile fish will be investigated along with the phenology of predator-prey relationships. In some instances the predators become the prey as the juvenile fish grow. In addition the effects of prey limitation will be explored. Variability in prey and to a certain extent predation (especially size selective) leads to variability in growth rate or at least perceived growth rate. Both factors affecting growth rate (temperature, prey levels, effects of habitat carrying capacity etc) and methods to determine growth rates will be investigated. Behaviour of individuals can have a profound effect on the survival of individual along with having implications for effective and unbiased sampling. Behaviour associated with settlement, anti-predator or cryptic behaviours and diel behaviour patterns will be identified. The importance of behaviour patterns such as site fidelity will also be explored. At the population level various dynamical models will be explored. Principally, the Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) will be investigated as a suitable framework for generalised nursery ground models. In addition, traditional density dependent models including general ecological concepts such as dynamic thinning lines and ecosystem carrying capacity will be covered. There will also be a small section covering general modelling techniques that can be employed to undertake scenario testing for impacts e.g. climate change or anthropogenic effects on fish nursery grounds. The module will consist of a combination of lectures, field and laboratory work. The laboratory work will cover otolith techniques (preparation for microstructure and microchemistry analysis, landmarks e.g. hatching or settlement rings, growth studies with otolith marking), behavioural observations e.g. habitat selection, cryptic and diel behaviours and prey determinations e.g. stomach contents analyses. Additional laboratory work will consist of working on various ecological models. The field work will encompass insitu visual observations.

Manipulative experimentation There are two aspects to this module; in restocking programs the fish introduced back in to the wild are often juveniles and secondly fish nursery areas are good systems for field orientated testing of general ecological principals and are conducive to testing underlying processes occurring on the nursery areas, especially shallow water areas. Restocking or stock enhancement of e.g. flatfish is quite common in Japan and is being investigated in Northern Europe. The process of restocking introduces elevated densities of juveniles to an area. These juveniles may be behaviourally nave in the wild therefore may be susceptible to e.g. predation or inept at utilising wild prey. There are questions concerning the timing in the life cycle of releases for maximum survival and abundances in regard to the carrying capacity and dynamics of the nursery areas. Understanding the dynamics of fish nursery grounds is often made difficult because a number of factors co-vary. Examples from flatfish nurseries include cold winters and low temperatures coinciding with very high settlement and subsequent poor growth of juveniles. Whether the thermal regime or per capita food availability is causing the reduced growth rate is uncertain. Experiments that manipulate fish densities, prey availability etc can be utilised to disentangle some of these effects. In addition, in shallow water sites experiments such as relocation experiments can be undertaken to examine nursery ground fidelity or predator exclusion to examine top down controls etc. The module will consist of a lecture series. Fish nursery ground management For the sustained recruitment of fish to their parent stock it is important for clear management strategies for nursery grounds. Management strategies need to consider the essential fish habitats, connectivity between spawning, nursery and adult feeding grounds, and exploitation patterns. The effects of e.g. coastal development or offshore oil or gas exploration need to be considered. This will be explored in the light of effective management options such as spatial planning and the use of Marine Protected Areas. This module will bring together all previous modules and using the information gathered to explore options for the sustainability of fish nursery grounds. The module will consist of lectures and interactive discussions.

The complete course content: Lecture series 1. General introduction, course aims and course outline RN/AG/AJ. Module 1 2. General overview of nursery grounds and essential fish habitat assessment RN+KA 3. The supply to nursery grounds - GH 4. Sampling methodology HV+RN+LP+KA+AJ

5. Behavioural observations HB+MB 6. Statistical methods for analyzing nursery ground functions MB Module 2 7. Ecology of nursery grounds (including predator/prey etc) TP+KA+GM+MB+LP+AJ 8. Theoretical considerations of nursery grounds RN+MB 9. Processes on nursery grounds and the use of Dynamic Energy Budgets - HV 10. Temporal and spatial considerations KA+GM+LP+HB+MB 11. Use of otoliths and tagging etc for connectivity and growth etc AG+ HH Module 3 12. Potential for restocking/enhancement programs on nurseries JS Module 4 13. Coastal zone management and MPAs as related to nurseries KA+LP+GH+JS Field excursions a. Sampling soft sediment habitats (beam trawls, beach seines, drop traps, sampling efficiency and selectivity etc) b. Sampling hard substrate environments (beach seines, traps, UTV, diving, photography, sampling efficiency and selectivity etc); remote sensing of nursery grounds (e.g. Lindspollen set up, electronic tags etc) Laboratory studies i. Behaviour settlement (flatfish and sediment choices, gadoids and cover choices) ii. Behaviour diel patterns (cryptic behaviours) iii. Diet studies iv. Otolith studies Workshops A. Statistical and analytical techniques 3. Lecturers KA Ken Able (North American perspective plus the use of tracking systems for behaviour) HB Howard Browman (fish behaviour) MB Mike Burrows (Statistical modeling, modeling and behaviour primarily flatfishes) AG Audrey Geffen (otolith techniques, larval and juvenile fish ecology) GH Geir Huse (oceanographic supply to nursery areas) HH Hans Hie (otolith techniques) AJ Arne Johannessen (fish biology, ecology and field sampling e.g. Lindspollen) GM Gurn Martiensdottir (offshore nursery grounds, primarily cod) template from

29.01.2007 RN Richard Nash (Course coordinator, nursery ground ecology) LP Leif Pihl (Swedish flatfish and shallow water gadoid nursery grounds) TP Torstein Pedersen (predator and prey relationships) JS Josianne Stttrup (restocking programmes) HV Henk van der Veer (flatfish nursery grounds and sampling, Dynamic Energy Budgets) 4. Espegrend Marine Biological Station web site

Last updated: eb 30.03.09